Southwest Shakespeare Co.

About the Southwest Shakespeare Company:

Founded by two guys who believed in bringing education and the arts together and presenting classics in a way that modern people would understand and appreciate. Started in 1993, they wished to engage the audience in an active role through seminars and talk-backs after the performance. They expanded the repertoire to include not just Shakespeare, but other classic works. They value language, literature and education as a way of elevating and making a difference in the community.

This company is unique in that is brings its various productions to different venues depending on the scope of the production. They perform at not only dedicated theatre spaces like the various theatres at the Mesa Arts Center, but also in spaces that are historically & culturally important to the Phoenix area like Taliesen West and The Arizona Biltmore Resort.

The country is scoured for talented performers, designers and directors and auditions are held in April and May of each year. They strive to bring professionalism in all that they do. They have been nominated for and won numerous awards. And to add to all this, there are workshops, classes, seminars, teacher guides, summer programs and so much more! Some performances are especially designed to reach children. A suitable piece is carefully crafted using the language and stories of Shakespeare, but shortened and filled with enthusiasm and delight, so that younger audiences can be introduced and inspired by classical theatre.

Upcoming Shows:

Classic Shakespearean comedy at its best. This tale takes you out of the court and into the woods and introduces you to several characters, many of whom are pretending to be someone else. Of course no one is really sure about who is in love with who and yet it all comes out fine in the end.

Another Shakespearean comedy about the nature of love and what happens when an ill-tempered woman Kate, meets her match. You may not agree with Kate's new husbands methods, but it is a bawdy and very funny comedy nonetheless.